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Claymore Chapter 118 Review

The Life or Death Struggle of Staff

Well hello everyone. Sorry about the lateness of this review, but due to MH being inaccessible during the weekend, I ended up getting this up later than planned. Anyways, let's get to the poll results, shall we? No one wanted to see more with Raki and the Trainees, but what we did get was a little surprising. Two wanted to see more with Roxanne and Cassandra, and we did some there. Two wanted to see Tabitha's group show up, but as of yet, no luck. One person wanted Galatea, oh and the blob Claire's in. And three wanted to see Miria vs Hysteria, and those three must be pleased.
Death in the Dust-
This chapter opens up with Cassandra easily taking off Audrey's sword arm. And then taking Rachael's remaining leg, and both her arms. And then dicing Nina into lots of little pieces. In fact the opening of this is really just Cassandra butchering her opponents. Roxanne comments on how it is probably the saddest technique a number one ever had. So bad, she didn't learn it. Ouch. Cassandra now moves to finish off Audery. Except she misses. And Roxy seems to know what's going on...
Damn Cassandra's dust eater is brutal. Like Dethklok brutal. She cripples her opponents by taking their limbs, then kills them while their helpless. And right now she's a lot more dangerous than Roxanne and Hysteria. Because unlike them she isn't playing around, she's out to kill. And it looks like Nina may have been her first victim. Now I can't positively identify any of the bits in the shot as being from anything but Nina's limbs, but there is some armor in their. So for now I'm operating on the theory that Nina is dead. In some ways this reminds me of Rigardo, and his massacre. I noticed something interesting about Cassandra's attack. From the way it cuts, it always hits twice. I wonder if that will come into play later? I can see Deneve sacrificing a leg to the first cut, in order to pin her during the second. But why was Cassandra suddenly missing?
The Lonely Number Ten-
As it turns out Rafetela isn't dead yet. And Raki just saved her from the handlers. And she's using her yoki manipulation powers to keep Audery alive. But in the shape she's in, as Raki points out, just standing up could kill her. She talks about how her training to be the anti-warrior warrior made it so she never had any friends or comrades. About how she felt when she saw all the other warriors united. So even if it kills her, she wants to do what she can to be a comrade. Some more of the handlers come running, but Raki isn't going to let them by. In fact, if they press the matter, they might die. And then a real touching moment, as the Trainees surround Rafetela and embrace her.
We get a very sweet moment here, with the trainees embracing Rafetela. Even if she does die, at least she'll know that at the end she wasn't alone. Her speech also really captured the plight, and the desires of Claymores. Really all they want is to be as human as possible. That is why the organizations attempts to strip them of all humanity and make an empty weapon fails. I know some people hate Raki, but he's been pretty cool thus far. It looks like he's not going to hold back any more, and will now strike to kill. Some people have complained that the org should have finished Rafetela off. But from the sound of things they realized their mistake, and were pursuing her when Raki intervened. I figure that she crawled off in the confusion when the Org was distracted (and face it their distracted), then they sent some men after her when they noticed she was gone.

Phantom Outmaneuvered?-
Now we go to Miria vs Hysteria. And Hysteria clearly has the upper hand. Miria has been distracted by the diminishing Yoki of the others. Miria releases her own Yoki, but Hysteria doesn't think it'll matter. At first she seems to be right. But Miria has something she's going to try. It's an idea she's had for a while, ever since Hilda's death, but never dared try before. Releasing all her Yoki at once, going over the limit for a truly monstrous burst of speed with none of Hysteria's elegance. And with it, she scores a hit on Hysteria, at the same time as Hysteria scores one on her. Miria informs the shocked Hysteria that from now on this will be a battle where they cut away at one each others life bit by bit.
We get to wrap up things seeing how Miria is doing. She wasn't doing too well until the end, but this new version of the phantom she wants to try might just turn things around. This kinda reminds me of the Quick sword, as it is a sudden momentary release of Yoki beyond the limits. However the quick sword is just one arm, and this is the whole body. This makes Miria run the risk of awakening. But it's allowed her to score a hit on Hysteria, at the cost of a hit on herself. From here on out this is a battle of endurance and nerves. I don't think that Hysteria is used to being hit during her attacks from her reaction. Right now Miria is the only one who has any chance of beating their opponents. Hope Deneve's group gets their soon.

Winner of the Month- Miria for being the first one to actually injure any of the number ones, and for looking like a demon out of hell on that last page.

Re: Claymore Chapter 118 Review

as for the poll, Miria vs Hysteria has been extremely boring, not much of a battle has been shown between them.

but I was tied between Miria+Hysteria and Cassandra.

Since I couldn't vote for both, I chose Cassandra, and here's my thinking process:

If, something awesome comes from Miria+Hysteria, namely this "new speed" of Miria's, and best would be to see her Partially/Fully Awaken of course, we'll see if this happens or not, then my vote should have gone to Miria+Hysteria. But, as of right now, it's up in the air as we don't know yet what will become of this.

As for Cassandra, as strange as it is, the "Dust Eater" is most certainly a rank 1 level Ability, and not something to laugh at anymore. Also, if Irene is just a rank 2 than possibly her QS is just a rank 2 level Ability as well, which would show or make the DE much more powerful, deadly, and dangerous than the QS. Cassandra with her DE really really really excels in combat... which begs to how was she killed, was she not using the DE, and that's how she was able to be killed, or did she get tired out from using the DE, and that's when Roxanne killed her ??

Roxanne may be wise in not trying to attack Cassandra is her DE mode, as she might end up killed, the DE might be that serious/powerful.

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Also, a quick comment:

I was kinda wondering how Raftela could protect the Org from other Claymores, namely rank 1 Claymores obviously, but with Raftela able to "mess" with Cassandra from such a distance, we're seeing that she can indeed disable even rank 1 Claymores, well Cassandra anyways.

Also, another question: remember that Raftela could NOT "mess" with Miria, until Miria had YR'ed, which allowed Raftela to first "mess" with Miria's senses, and then Raftela was able to move onto her brain/mind, causing to her to hallucinatingly see the TAIT as Hilda.

So... this leads us to question:

1. is Cassandra YR'ing with her DE ???

2. is Cassandra distracted ??? (as Miria was too powerful for Raftela, she needed the TAITs to distract Miria, just as Galatea needed her verbal insults and then Clare+Jean to distract Dauf, as he too was too powerful for Galatea to "mess" with. And I'd imagine Raftela wouldn't be powerful enough to "mess" with Cassandra, regardless of how powerful or not powerful Miria is compared to a rank 1)

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P.S.

Cassandra's Dust Eater should be renamed:

Cassandra's Dirty Dancing, no wonder she's so embarrased (who knew the shy blushing girl, had such a wild side!), hehe

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P.S.S.

let's hope the Trainees are hugging Raftela, and not "hugging" Raftela as how RAFAELA "hugged" Luciela... if you know what I mean... hehe

are the Trainees actually hugging (and possibly trying to Heal/Regenerate) Raftela, or are the Trainees trying to kill Raftela and/or get her to Awaken possibly ???

Last edited by HegemonKhan; September 05, 2011 at 02:47 PM.

"The internet’s perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain’t one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities for fruitless point-scoring: the heady combination of perceived anonymity, gestated responses, random heckling and a notional “live audience” quickly conspire to create a “perfect storm” of perpetual bickering." - Charlie Brooker

"I hold the wolf by the ears, I am in a dangerous situation and dare not let go" -an old saying in Latin

Re: Claymore Chapter 118 Review

Your reading too much into the Trainee's hugging Rafetela. Their hugging her to show her that she is not alone after her speech about how she's the most isolated warrior, and Claymores wish to bond with one another. They are definitly not trying to get her to awaken, or trying to kill her. They may be trying to heal her, but I'm not sure. That seems to be a fairly advanced ability, since we don't see anyone use it before Rabona.

I think Rafetela needs her opponent to be distracted enough so they don't think "Why is my aim so off all the sudden." Like how Galatea's ability wouldn't work on Dauf when he was focusing on her. I wonder if she'll go and start the hallucinations. If she does, I can guess what Cassandra's will be about.

Re: Claymore Chapter 118 Review

yes, I don't think the Trainees are killing Raftela either... but just throwing it out there... I mean were any of us expecting Rafaela to be killing Luciela, instead of just hugging her...

Yagi has done it already with Rafaela and Luciela... so I threw out the idea that maybe the Trainees... aren't so innocent... maybe those two could be Org loyal Trainees... just now revealing themselves...

(Rubel/Rimuto would be proud of my cunning, hehe. Rubel/Rimuto to HK: "I couldn't have thought of a better plan myself, infiltrating our two special Claymores pretending to be Trainees amongst the other Trainees... heck maybe you should throw in the possibility that Raftela may also be on our side... okay... maybe that's going too far... hehe)

Last edited by HegemonKhan; September 05, 2011 at 08:30 PM.

"The internet’s perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain’t one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities for fruitless point-scoring: the heady combination of perceived anonymity, gestated responses, random heckling and a notional “live audience” quickly conspire to create a “perfect storm” of perpetual bickering." - Charlie Brooker

"I hold the wolf by the ears, I am in a dangerous situation and dare not let go" -an old saying in Latin

Re: Claymore Chapter 118 Review

As an ardent supporter of the Phantom Warrior, I was very pleased with the events in this chapter. Yagi has always portrayed her as a dominant warriors with very few equals. In fact, she's acted like the calm and calculated individual. Even as she temporarily paralyzed Tabitha and headed off to the East, she had planned every detail and acted logically.

This is a different side of her. Probably goes back to what Galatea stated to Tabitha. Miria would die to avenge not only Hilda but the warriors and innocent people that the Organization had used. Throwing caution to wind, acting with rage and desperation, she throws her human life to the wind and goes beyond her Youki limit. Her actions are so out of place, considering that she has always been the calm and fearless leader. Perhaps she realizes that there is more than one way to die. Losing your humanity to awakening or getting your head lopped off are two different sides of the same coin. She might as well make a difference with one outcome over the other.

I don't want to die. Even if that makeshift family was all nothing more than an illusion, doomed to someday fall apart. I so wish, so wish, it could have lasted the tiniest bit longer. - Norihiro Yagi

Re: Claymore Chapter 118 Review

Well she also knows it's possible to come back. I assume that when she said she didn't just improve her strength in the north, that's what she was reffereing to. Miria is going for a controlled partial awakening.

Re: Claymore Chapter 118 Review

for me, I think Miria is merely refering to having better control/resistance over her Yoki and/or Yoma body, like all the Ghosts, and especially the HA Ghosts. But, maybe you're right and she's implying more significant applications, hehe.

---

Miria seems to have been like "Confidence Lacking Yuma" in regards to the 80% YR "Limit", fearful of trying to do 80% or more YR.

Clare has done so with her Partial Awakening, initially needing Jean to help her "de-Awaken", though now... despite the "wedge thingy", to me... it seems as if Clare can now "de-Awaken" from her Partial Awakening on her own... but this is just pure speculation on my part, as the "wedge thingy" and the retractions interfered with finding this out, if Clare can or if she can't.

Clare has also YR 80% or more on a few occasions as well: rescuing Raki from the Gonahl female AB, during the Witches Maw, in the Pieta Battle (along Deneve to break the Yoki Control over them by the Pieta ABs), and etc...

-Actually, this is really quite interesting... Clare at 80% or more YR is also withOUT Partially Awakening, yet she boosted her speed (to save Raki and Galatea).. just like Miria just did too just now in ch 118... Though Miria uses Yoki as/in a Burst (can Miria use Yoki normally, or can Miria only use her Yoki as/in Bursts, eh? I think this is rather a good question... lol), whereas as far as we know, Clare does/is/was not.

Deneve certainly has, first in Healing/Regenerating her seemingly-to-be-fatal damage (hole) through her stomach area, after the death of the Lido "Spiderman" (which Galatea sensed), in the Pieta Battle (along with Clare to break the Yoki Control over them by the Pieta ABs), and etc...

--

but now, Miria is finally throwing her fear/lack of confidence away, and has done a 80% or more YR of a burst of Yoki.

we still have to wait and see, if Miria will Partially (or Fully) Awaken, or if she's merely using 80% or more YR... withOUT Partially/Fully Awakening... being able to resist the Awakening... despite using 80% or more YR...

Last edited by HegemonKhan; September 06, 2011 at 01:59 PM.

"The internet’s perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain’t one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities for fruitless point-scoring: the heady combination of perceived anonymity, gestated responses, random heckling and a notional “live audience” quickly conspire to create a “perfect storm” of perpetual bickering." - Charlie Brooker

"I hold the wolf by the ears, I am in a dangerous situation and dare not let go" -an old saying in Latin

Re: Claymore Chapter 118 Review

I thought Galatea was gonna show up because of the Yoki manipulation, so I was bummed about that. But I don't Miria has a shot in hell. She's already over her limit and equaling Hysteria's unreleased speed. Once Hysteria takes this seriously, Miria is dead until the Ghosts or Miata/Galatea steps in.